Alaska, Russian forces to conduct joint search-and-rescue exercise

Posted: Monday, August 14, 2000

ANCHORAGE (AP) -- Members of the Alaska Command of the U.S. Air Force, Alaska Air National Guard, Alaska Army National Guard, Canadian air forces and Russian air forces will conduct joint exercises in Russia this week, Defense Department officials said.

The field training exercise is designed to improve the ability of American, Canadian and Russian forces to conduct search and rescue operations in the arctic.

The training scenario calls for crews to search for the crew of an international space station after the crew makes an emergency water landing.

The training will take place Wednesday and Thursday in the Leningrad military district.

Military officials said this is the seventh combined arctic search and rescue exercise.